NEP On Location

In this episode of NEP "On Location", Jim Aleski talks with Dave Gillotte, a more than 35 year fire service veteran currently serving as a Captain in the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Dave has been on the board of LA County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014 for 26 years, including serving as President of the more than 3,400-member union for the last 22 years. Dave also serves on the Executive Board of California Professional Firefighters as well as on many other public safety related boards and committees.

In this episode of NEP "On Location", Jim Aleski talks with Dr. Kerry Ramella, LPC, Ph.D., owner and clinical director of Public Safety Crisis Solutions, a Phoenix, AZ based counseling and wellness center. Dr. Ramella is former radio dispatcher and 911 operator and has more than 35 years of public safety and clinical mental health experience and works with numerous public safety and behavioral health committees and programs.

In this episode of NEP "On Location", Jim Aleski talks with Matty Fiorenza, a retired Anaheim (CA) Firefighter / Paramedic who now works with Recovery First First Responders Treatment Centers, helping first responders struggling with mental health and substance abuse disorders. Matty is also featured in the documentary film PTSD911 which explores the struggle of first responders battling the demons of PTSD.

In this episode of NEP "On Location", Jim Aleski talks with Michele Freeman, PhD, a nearly 30 year law enforcement veteran who served for almost a decade as Chief of the City of Las Vegas Department of Public Safety. Dr. Freeman earned her Doctor of Public Policy Degree, which focused on Suicide Awareness and Prevention for Law Enforcement Officers from UNLV and has been a long-time volunteer with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Nevada chapter. Dr. Freeman facilitates educational programs dedicated to resiliency, mental wellness, emotional health, self-care, holistic wellness, suicide awareness and prevention, and overall well-being.

In this episode of NEP "On Location", Jim Aleski talks with Mynda Ohs, PhD, a Las Vegas based licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) who specializes in critical incident debriefings, counseling services, crisis intervention, suicide prevention and more. She works extensively with retired emergency services personnel, a rapidly growing and often under served and under supported segment of first responders. 

Dr. Ohs is also the author of two books, Fully Involved: A Guide For Being In A Relationship With A Firefighter and When The Calls Stop: Retiring As A First Responder. Both are available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.

Dr. Ohs can be found on the web at https://fullyinvolvedlife.com/.

In this episode of NEP "On Location", Jim Aleski sits down with Jake Windell, a Firefighter/Paramedic from the Los Angeles County Fire Department who serves as his agency's Peer Support Leader and K-9 Coordinator.

Jake talks about the peer support and mental health initiatives in place for LA County Fire Department members including a therapy dog program.

For more information on these programs, Jake can be reached via Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014 or at [email protected].

In this episode of NEP "On Location", Jim Aleski sat down with Dr. Heather Williams, a Psychologist from Southern California's Premier First Responder Psychological Services, at the 2023 NEP "We Need to Talk" mental and behavioral health conference in Las Vegas. Dr. Williams discusses her decades of experience working as and alongside first responders.

Dr. Williams' journey included 20 years of working in crisis and and trauma before formally becoming a Psychologist. She spent many years working in law enforcement and fire service victim assistance programs, crisis response teams, and peer support groups. Dr. Williams and her team can be found at: https://premier1stresponder.com.

NEP Media's Jim Aleski spoke with Patrick Dugan from the College Station Professional Firefighters Association at the 2023 NEP "We Need to Talk" mental and behavioral health conference in Las Vegas. Patrick discusses some steps his union and fire department have taken to get mental health support programs off the ground. He also talks about how constant department turnover and staffing shortages contribute to their members' mental health challenges.

NEP Media's Jim Aleski caught up with Libby Timmons from Tuscon, AZ's Thrive With Chaos at the 2023 NEP "We Need to Talk" mental and behavioral health conference in Las Vegas. Libby discusses her years of experience working as an addiction counselor and therapist for first responders.

NEP Media's Jim Aleski caught up with Dr. Brooke Bartlett from San Diego's Center for Trauma, Anxiety, and Stress at the 2023 NEP "We Need to Talk" mental and behavioral health conference in Las Vegas. Dr. Bartlett discusses her years of experience working with military and emergency services personnel and their families and the goal of making mental health a proactive process and not just a reactive process.